New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-04
LITERARY NOTES.

Mr. yonn +. whcelwreht, ono Of the cleverese OF
s.-..,,. xoune authors. has wrltton what - sam 70
- witty satre Oh the literary and esthctic snec'a
s,ons AZ his city, 1t will probably DO puonsnea by
.,d-bs. At prescott Mr.. George Riddle 10 reading J"
NJ mis- parlor entertainments
Another young Bostonian, Mr.. J. J. Roche Is ny
ing higher flight than that revealed In his pleasing
verses no Ia writing play
The uonderous work which that cheerful pooh-
maker Mr.. Du Chaiilu, is about to bring OUT Is On
titled aThe Viking Age: the Early History' mannofS
ana Customs of the Ancestors of the EngshSpeaklns
Nations illustrated from the Antiquities discovered In
Mounds Cairns and Bogs as well as from tne AnoDn,
ea4as and Eddas." Twelve hundred inustra.ons WI,
enliven the two volumes. Tho author has oeon oo,
Letting material for this work for tho past so'on
year,
,cxv and rcv,sed edition at reduced price OF tho
Butcher and Lang prose VERSION oi ''o oN''
nounced by tho Macmillans
rho latest t,,nslation of the Odyssey into Ehsnsn
vcrsc-that OF william Morris-ii's hot ooen a..
received by his co,intrymen ono Vi 1'n '
aJJnhapply, Il has not pleased NE Motifs w 49,
his now rendering in the English iahsu'so 49, 49,
not N IA true left it in its original Ercoh' oa' le
e,tr,c and uncouth tongue into which he mas Trans
800 a. 4. M Roman speech spoken OF man, ciVnlzod
or unciyilzed 1t is not even VoiapuK' IL - queoi
targon OF its own, which has tho same roia'ionshp
q, tho English speech, with whtoh We suppose Nr'
Nforria IL
oak furniture Of wardour Street have to genuine an
,ioutvy This "whitehan" critic neatly supports his
or,u,ons by quoting Mr.. Morrs's outrageous opening
lines:
Tell me, Muse of the shify, the man VINO wanaoiea
afar,
After the Holy Burg, Troy-town, lie had wasted Win
war:
lie saw tho towns Of mcnfolk, and tho mind OF men
did he learn,
ns bs warded his life in the world and his fellow
farcrs' return
Mr. Edgar Fawcett,'s play "The Earl which failed
IN please Boston and the subject OF divers WRATH
full iettcrswil soon be brought out In book form os
Tcknor.
aThe Fatal Three" fs the blood-curdling utie vi
Miss Braddon's forthcoming novel
Ten editions of Philip James Bajley's "Festus"
have leen published In England, and the old poet Is
now correcting the proofs Of tho eleventh Many
editions we're brought out in America, for the poet
had long and wide popularity here: but all the poet
received as his share Of the American profits was
couple of illustrated copies
"The Boston Literary World" attributes the insunl-
reut use by Southern writer's of their rich material
D, tho foolish and basty praise of the North There
ts Justice and common sense in this view. inc
almost crazy commentator which has been De-
slowed upon what Is after all slight and cvsnoscohs
furnishes no incentive to continuous effort and nom
est aspiration. To welcome a pleasant, Htue. snort
story as II it we're a mighty work Of genius is dis
tinct harm to It's writer. The Northern critics are
doubtless sincere but they are ovcrILasy.
A cur,ou. pbase Of this Northern enthusiasm for
Southern work Is the occasional failure to apply 1t In
the proper quarter. Robert Malcolm Johns7on's
inju,itabe sketches Of Southern lifesketches which
here and thcre show touches worthy OF Cervantes-
have not had Justice, while Mr.. Pages later dialoc'
stories have been Landed far above ricr merits. inc
dialect vein has grown very wearisome we even
become tired of the Creole and it viii be happy
day when Southern writers realize that their most
valuable material is to be found in the changing lifc
OF the race which has boon tho ruling one In the
Southern States. II is Mr.. Johnston's realization
of this fact which has given us our chief contribution
TO the social history of the Souherncr In the last
half century.
Mr. Johnston will have a short story called "Moll
and Virgil In the September number OF Harper"
De luxe editions Of modern authors arc sad to be
a drug on the English market copy of the very
expensive de luxe edition Of Dckcns's works was
lately sold at auction in Manchester for only $65
This is not strange too of these lately popular
editions were not beautiful enough TO be treasured
ss precious possessions and far from being COM
Portable to handle.
A copy of the first edition of walton's L" Compeat
Angler" 1853. was sold lately at London auction
for ai05. 1t In the collection formed by MI
Gibson Craig, OF Edinburgh, and mentioned by Dbl
din In his Northern Tour When this genial
photographer saw 1t the old calf binding and wide
margins distinguished it probably the finest copy
I'm existence. Mr. Gibson Craig unfortunately gave
Il TO the binder. who lessened its size and value,
though no may have improved It's appearance 1t
L. now In red morocco, gilt edges. protected by
case of silk The price given is unprecedented and
will change tho old quotations Of $50 or $50 to at
least aIOO and bring It IN value to the front rank
among the first editions of the great books of Eng
Iish literature. In the collection copy OF the
first edition Of Robinson Crusoe' was bought for
ESQ Miltons Paradise Lost )" first edition. IS offered
for sale at SEQ; the poems Of 1645 for $40; good
and perfect copy Of the Kimarnock Burns is worth
ESQ and the great first folio of Shakespeare from 27o0
TO $500. IN this list Walton takcs second place
and as precedent will increase the value of all first
valtons and rare waItonian literature.